Over a millennium ago, the Darklings infested Xaria like a disease. Some thought they came from Drow experimentation, others that they were offspring of Goblins and Demons. Surface Elves saw them as a blight on nature and fought to remove them. They were successful and the Darklings retreated deep underground. However, with the recent departure of many of Xaria’s elves, the Darklings have chosen now to resurface. They seek to steal the life force and magikal items of man as parasites. All Darklings have a natural fear of elves and will avoid them unless they vastly out number them.
Complaint by villager on the outskirts of a Quiveran town to a Quiveran Army Officer:
“I don’t know what they were. I just don’t know. Like I said, I was chopping wood out back when I heard my wife scream. She was walking little Jebby down by the crick as she does every evening ‘round that time. I ran hard and found her cradling my boy and sobbing. No he wasn’t dead, thank Auberick. But he sure was sickly. Then I saw them. For only a moment, they looked at me with their cold black eyes then they just disappeared. I had turned to my wife for a second they just couldn’t have hid so fast. No, I told you, they weren’t goblins nor barbarians, nor the drow. I just don’t know what they were. Jebby’s recovered fine over the last week, but that don’t matter. You got to send out a patrol in the those woods and find those black devils.”
Complaint by villager on the outskirts of a Quiveran town to a Quiveran Army Officer:
“I don’t know what they were. I just don’t know. Like I said, I was chopping wood out back when I heard my wife scream. She was walking little Jebby down by the crick as she does every evening ‘round that time. I ran hard and found her cradling my boy and sobbing. No he wasn’t dead, thank Auberick. But he sure was sickly. Then I saw them. For only a moment, they looked at me with their cold black eyes then they just disappeared. I had turned to my wife for a second they just couldn’t have hid so fast. No, I told you, they weren’t goblins nor barbarians, nor the drow. I just don’t know what they were. Jebby’s recovered fine over the last week, but that don’t matter. You got to send out a patrol in the those woods and find those black devils.”